History

The current Nelson Town Band began in 1989 when Louise Dierker and her
husband Dave Patek, playing drum and flute respectively, marched up the
hill from the Nelson Common to the cemetery (a steep 1/4 mile), on
Memorial Day.

Shortly after that they engaged fellow Nelson residents Rick Lothrop,
a tuba player, and Charlie Lang on trumpet. Charlie quickly assumed the
role of director, acquiring and organizing music, fielding calls for
gigs, and running rehearsals.

Over the next few years the band grew. Folks who had not played for
years(or decades!) got their instruments out of the closet. And many young people,
already active in the Middle or High School bands, joined as well. As
the band increased in size and complexity, it became desirable to have
an official conductor, a role ably filled by Donna Morse, a professional
musician who, along with the rest of her family, had been playing in
the band for some time. Today Donna conducts most of the concerts,
slipping back into her clarinet chair when she is able.

Each year the band plays for the Nelson Memorial Day event at the historic cemetery in Nelson as well as the Nelson Congregational Church's Ice Cream Socials in July and again in September. The Nelson Town Band plays each year at the Harrisville Old Home Days, the Marlborough concert series, the Stoddard Old Home Day Parade, the Winchester Pickle Festival and many more.